Zealand, Denmark

Zealand (spelled Sjæland in Danish) is the island where the city of Copenhagen is located. It is Denmark's largest island, yet it is small enough that most sights can be accessed by a daytrip no matter where on the island you stay. The houses in the first photo provide examples of classic Danish architecture.

Dragør Harbor on the island of Amager. The Copenhagen International Airport is also located on Amager. We had dropped our friend and hostess Grethe off to catch a flight early in the morning, so we thought we'd start our day exploring here.

From Dragør, we had a lovely view of the Øresund Bridge which connects Copenhagen, Denmark with Malmo, Sweden. In 1985 when I studied here, the only way across was by ferry. 

Jægerpris Slot (Castle), a manor house of Danish royalty since the 1200s. Because King Frederick VII married below his status, this small castle served as an escape and home for he and his wife Countess Danner in the mid-1800s. 

Tomb of Countess Danner, wife of King Frederick VII.

Side view of Jægerpris Castle surrounded by open green space and lovely gardens. We enjoyed the interior, where taking photos was not allowed, as well as wandering the grounds.

We just happened to stumble upon our next stop: Frederikssund Museum. Located on Roskilde Fjord, this small but interesting museum features exhibits of Stone Age civilization as well as cottage gardens. 

Besides Viking exhibits inside the museum, this replica of a boat used to ply the fjord's waters is displayed outdoors with the Roskilde Fjord in the distance.

We still had a good part of the afternoon to explore, so we drove to the beach town of Gilleleje on the northernmost point of Zealand.

The beach and pier (pictured below) at Gilleleje with a late afternoon storm on the horizon. Time to call it a day and head back to our accommodations in Hillerød.